


What A Difference A Month Makes

by FandomStar



Series: Merthur Week 2020 [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Injured Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), M/M, Magic Healing, Merthur Week 2020, Post-Magic Reveal, non-graphic injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomStar/pseuds/FandomStar
Summary: Merthur Week 2020 Day 3 - "You're hurt. Please, just let me heal it." + hurt/comfort
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merthur Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066877
Comments: 2
Kudos: 103
Collections: Merthur Week 2020





	What A Difference A Month Makes

**Author's Note:**

> I love this fic. But you may hate me for it. There are Emotions.

Merlin’s heart hurt as he watched Arthur sit against a tree trying to disguise the amount of pain he was in. It had been a month since Arthur had caught him healing himself after a night of  _ excitement  _ and he’d barely spoken to him since. In fact, Merlin had been surprised that he’d been asked to accompany the knights on the hunting trip at all, until Gwaine and Percival admitted that it had been the knights who insisted Merlin come. They’d missed him.

Merlin was glad to join them, until they’d been ambushed. Without realising he didn’t have to hide what he did, he slinked off to the sidelines of the fight and managed to subtly take out half the gang of bandits. When the other half scampered away, the knights turned to him. Merlin panicked until he saw their grins. Only, when there was a pained grunt, their smiles slid away and they noticed the king sprawled on his back and clutching his side. 

It had taken a while to find a suitable campsite, but they did. The fire was still burning when the knights fell asleep, which left Merlin and Arthur the only members of the party still awake. When Merlin looked over to check on Arthur, he’d let his guard down and grimaced in pain.

“I could help you, you know.” Merlin quietly offered.

Arthur’s eyes snapped over at him.  _ “What?” _

“I could help with the wound,” Merlin repeated, a little nervous after Arthur’s response. “Not even with magic if you don’t want me to. I’ve been Gaius’ apprentice for years, I know more than enough-”

“Why?” Arthur demanded, but without aggressive hostility.

Confused, Merlin frowned. “Because you’re my friend? And my king, but mostly because you’re my friend - my  _ best _ friend.” He swallowed. “Regardless of how you feel about me.”

Without emotion in his eyes, Arthur stared at Merlin, before thoughtlessly crossing his arms, causing him to groan in pain. 

“Arthur-”

_ “No.” _

Merlin flinched at the sharpness of Arthur’s refusal. He rubbed at his eyes, the exhaustion of having to contend with the sudden 180∘ shift in their relationship coming over him. It was only when he caught Arthur wince as he shifted his body into a new position that something in him snapped.

“Arthur. You are hurt, and I cannot sit here and watch you suffer when I can  _ help  _ you!” Merlin exclaimed, trying to be careful to not wake the knights.  _ “Please. _ Just let me heal you.”

There must have been something in his expression that conveyed his desperation, because Arthur had seemingly been stunned into silence. The pair stared into each other's eyes before Arthur gave a tiny nod. Relief seeped through Merlin, and he quietly made his way over to Arthur. Kneeling beside him, Merlin lifted his tunic to properly look at the stab wound. It was deep, making Merlin’s mouth curl into a wince. 

“I could probably heal this in one go,” he whispered, before meeting Arthur’s stare. “But… I understand if you just want me to put a salve together.”

Silence met his offers. “Okay.”

Merlin blinked. “Okay what?”

“Do… do your thing.” Arthur said, almost inaudibly.

For a moment, Merlin stared at Arthur in disbelief. A minute passed, and Arthur lifted an expectant gaze.

“Right. Yeah,” Merlin said, folding the tunic up Arthur’s torso so it didn’t get in the way of the wound. “Þurhhæle dolgbenn.”

Merlin didn’t need to see a reflection in order to know that Arthur could see his eyes turn gold. He focused on making sure that the wound knitted itself over neatly and properly. Silence overcame the king and the warlock.

“How does it feel?” Merlin asked in a whisper through the lump of emotion in his throat.

“Better. Good, actually,” Arthur replied, gently running his fingertips over the faint mark where he’d been stabbed before turning wide eyes onto Merlin. “Thank you.”

Too choked to speak, Merlin nodded, before he felt the sensation of tears behind his eyes. He sat beside Arthur against the tree with his knees to his chest and sobbed into his thighs.

“One month.” he whispered.

“Merlin-”

“One month, and you haven’t spoken to me, haven’t asked about me. You wanted nothing to do with me, it took the knights insisting for you to let me come today.”

“Merlin. I’m so-”

“I thought you hated me. I had no idea what you were thinking or feeling and I never saw you. I thought-” A choked sob escaped his throat. “I thought you were trying to figure out what to do with me. And it was terrifying.”

As he cautiously reached out an arm to wrap around Merlin, Arthur sighed sadly.

“I thought I did hate you. By the time I realised I didn’t, I thought you’d be the one hating me, so I kept my distance. If I’d known…” He laughed humourlessly. “Besides, I never could figure out what I was supposed to do with you.”

Smiling a little, Merlin let Arthur pull him closer.

“Show me something,” Arthur requested, gently. “Anything you like.”

Surprised, Merlin glanced up at him, only to find him smiling softly. He looked around, before his eyes settled on the dwindling fire.

“Hoppaþ nu swilce swá lieg fleogan.” he murmured.

Sparks of flame flew into the darkness. As Arthur chuckled lowly, Merlin felt exhaustion wrap around him. Noticing this, Arthur hugged him a little tighter and let him sleep against his shoulder.


End file.
